Fergus McFadden insists that Ireland's second string are desperate to overcome their relative inexperience in Saturday's match against Fiji in Limerick. The Irish have selected an experimental side for the non-cap international at Thomond Park with only Jamie Heaslip, Conor Murray and Mike Ross surviving last weekend's defeat by South Africa.

"We'll be looking to come out of the blocks fast and impose our gameplan on them," the Leinster winger McFadden said. "We want to put some structure on the game. Fiji feed off scraps and thrive on loose ball."

McFadden is the most experienced member of Ireland's back line with 15 caps and he is excited by the prospect of linking up with the new arrivals.

The uncapped Ulster trio of Luke Marshall, Craig Gilroy and Paddy Jackson have been given a chance to impress the Irish management. "Luke has slotted in very well and Paddy Jackson has an old head on young shoulders. Those lads are very promising, hopefully they'll go well."

McFadden said: "Fijians are renowned for how aggressive and physical they are. They have massive men across the board – throughout the backs and in the forwards.

"They'll be physically opposing, but we'll be up for it because a lot of our lads didn't get that much game time last week."

Due to the non-cap status of the game in Limerick, Ireland have been denied the chance to end their five-Test losing sequence. They succumbed 16-12 to South Africa last Saturday in a match they should have won.

"The mood's been great, we've been flying, but getting pipped by South Africa was a disappointment," McFadden said.

"It was a good team performance. They strangled out the latter part of the game by not giving us any scores. But some fresh faces have been brought in and they're really looking forward to it. Hopefully we can put things right."

The Fiji head coach, Inoke Male, has made five personnel changes and three positional switches from the team beaten at Twickenham last weekend.

The centre Josh Matavesi and fly-half Jonetani Ralulu come into the tourists' back line, with Metuisela Talebula and Simeli Koniferedi moving positions to full-back and the right-wing respectively.

Jerry Yanuyanutawa replaces Ratu Makutu at loosehead prop in an otherwise unchanged front row, with their captain Deacon Manu from the Scarlets on the tighthead side of the scrum. Api Naikatini shifts from blindside flanker to the second row, while Iliesa Ratuva and Nemani Nagusa have been added to the back row.

The Fiji Rugby Union has announced that Maleli Kunavore, the former Fiji and Toulouse wing, died in hospital on Thursday night.

Kunavore, who retired in 2010 after he suffered two major injuries to an arm and underwent a cardiac operation, was part of the Fiji side that reached the quarter-finals of the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. The cause of death was undisclosed but it was confirmed the 29-year-old died in Suva private hospital.

Fiji Rugby Union's development manager, Sale Sorovaki, described Kunavore as a very gifted and talented player, adding: "It is so sad to lose a fellow rugby player and at such a young age."